ABOVE - Earliest
portrait of Washington, painted in 1772 by Charles Willson Peale,
shows Washington in uniform as colonel of the Virginia Regiment

Presidential
Connections

General George Washington was the first American
president to visit Washington College. A friend of
founder William Smith’s, Washington not only agreed to
allow the college to be named in his honor, but also
pledged fifty guineas (the largest of all the founding
gifts) “as an earnest of my wishes for the prosperity of
this seminary.” Washington also accepted a place
on the College’s Board of Visitors and Governors,
attended the second commencement in 1784, and was
awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, the first
such honorific he accepted after becoming president.

Other U.S.
Presidents and First Ladies have visited the campus and
accepted honorary degrees. Visit the links below
to learn more about Washington College’s presidential
connections. The FDR page is especially
interesting because it includes rare film coverage of
his visit.

The
Presidential speeches were researched and transcribed by
Charles A. Hohman '05.